North Korea's Kim Yo Jong says anti-Seoul loudspeakers will be on border standby within days

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said North Korea will put propaganda loudspeakers aimed at South Korea on standby along the border within days. She made statements on 21 and 22 October 2026; the second was carried by the state news agency KCNA.

She said the loudspeakers would operate along the entire border within October. On 22 October she said North Korea had put new countermeasures on alert along the border. She also said North Korean tactical units had taken up new positions. Reuters quoted her as warning Seoul of "the most horrible and distressing situation" if it continues what Pyongyang calls interference.

According to The Guardian, the broadcasts had not yet resumed at the time of reporting. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe the new countermeasures.

Before the first statement, Kim inspected border fortification sites with senior military officials, including Marshal Pak Jong Chon. The Guardian describes Pak as an adviser to the defence ministry. NPR describes him as one of Kim Jong Un's top military officials.

On 22 October, a South Korean defence ministry spokesperson said Seoul would need to take proportionate measures if North Korea goes ahead. The spokesperson did not specify them. According to The Guardian, the spokesperson made clear no decision had been made. NPR named the spokesperson as Chung Binna.

Background

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung halted the South's loudspeaker broadcasts after taking office in June 2025, to ease tensions. North Korea then stopped its own. South Korea's loudspeakers were later dismantled. The Guardian reports this happened in August 2025, and that a resumption would mean the first loudspeaker exchange in 16 months.

In September, a landmine blast near the border injured three South Korean soldiers, two seriously. NPR dates it to 21 September. After an inspection with the US-led United Nations Command, Seoul concluded North Korean mines caused it. Seoul has called for an apology. North Korea has been fortifying its side with mines, fencing and anti-tank barriers. South Korean troops have fired warning shots and issued warning broadcasts in response.

What is disputed

• North Korea denies responsibility for the blast. The Guardian quotes Pyongyang calling it a "self-staged farce".
• Seoul says North Korean troops repeatedly crossed the military demarcation line. NPR reports the South's military puts the figure at 50 times this year. Pak denied the breaches, according to KCNA as cited by NPR.
• NPR refers to multiple blasts; other outlets describe one. Accounts of the inspection date (20 or 21 October) also differ.

What each side says

• Kim said border guards "will show no mercy for the armed gangsters bereft of reason" if warning shots harm North Korean territory or personnel, according to NPR.
• Seoul calls the warning shots "legitimate and defensive measures", according to Al Jazeera.
• NPR reports Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Jin Yong-Sung called the threats "intolerable".
• According to Al Jazeera, South Korea's military and Ministry of Unification urged Pyongyang to return to talks. The Foreign Ministry said it would send a letter to the UN Security Council demanding an apology and urging dialogue.

Analysis

The threats risk reversing a pause in loudspeaker broadcasts that both sides had observed since mid-2025. Several paths remain open. North Korea could activate the loudspeakers as announced, or the threat could remain unfulfilled. Seoul has signalled a proportionate response but, according to The Guardian, has made no decision. That leaves room for options ranging from restraint to reinstalling its own equipment. The unresolved dispute over the September mine blast, and competing claims about border crossings, add friction. South Korea's planned approach to the UN Security Council and its calls for talks suggest diplomatic channels are also being pursued.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.